Help From an Old Friend
by Kristen3
Summary: Months after being fired from WJM, Murray shows up at Mary's door, unemployed and frustrated. Can Mary help him see that all is not lost? One-shot.


Mary loved nights like this. Sure, things had changed since she and her coworkers were fired from WJM, but, in the past couple of months, she'd finally begun to get back on her feet. She'd found a job at a nearby TV station. Her new coworkers weren't a makeshift family as she'd had at her previous station, but they were nice enough. What she really enjoyed, though, was the fact that the ratings at her new station weren't an embarrassment. They weren't number one in the city, but they were respectable, and Mary knew she was working on stories that were actually seen.

As for her former coworkers, they had gone their separate ways. Lou had taken a job in LA, working for a newspaper. Ted, of course, remained at WJM, at least so far. For reasons no one could quite understand, the station's new management seemed to be happy with their anchorman. Sue Ann had decided to write a cookbook, with household hints mixed in as well. She was even considering publishing a manual on certain other subjects about which she was knowledgeable. No doubt, she would probably be the most successful of all of them.

But Mary pushed thoughts of her friends aside. Right now, all she wanted to do was watch a little TV, get into bed, and read a bit before going to sleep. It wasn't much, but it was her life, and she was happy with it. She turned on the TV and was pleased when she saw a movie come on. It was a sappy love story, one that she and Rhoda had watched together many times, both lamenting the state of their love lives. But of course, things were different now. Rhoda was in New York and divorced from Joe.

Soon, Mary was engrossed in the familiar story, not thinking about work, or even her friends. The escape was just what she needed. But then she heard what sounded like a knock on her apartment door. It was so faint, she wasn't even sure at first if she was really hearing it. But when she heard it a second time, she knew she wasn't imagining things. She turned off the TV and went to the door, wondering who it could be.

When she opened the door, she was surprised to find Murray there. "Murray, it's so good to see you!" She almost hugged him, before noticing the expression on his face. "Is – is everything all right?"

Without a word, Murray shook his head.

Mary immediately stepped back. "Come in."

"I'm sorry to barge in here this late," Murray said. "I know you have to work in the morning." He stepped inside her familiar apartment.

"Don't worry about that," Mary said immediately. "Just tell me what's on your mind."

Murray nodded, taking a seat on her couch. He'd been here countless times before, including many of her memorable dinner parties. But now wasn't the time to think about that. "Well, you know how I've been looking for a job."

Mary nodded, sitting next to him on the couch. "So, have you found something?"

Murray shook his head. "I must have sent out a dozen resumes, and I haven't gotten a single phone call. Marie's been taking it pretty hard. She had to take a part-time job just so we could make ends meet. I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever find another job."

Mary reached out, gently squeezing his hand. "You'll find something, Murray. You're a great newswriter. Any station would be lucky to have you."

"Thanks," Murray said, forcing a smile. "But now I'm starting to think….what if I _do_ get another job, and I end up writing for another Ted?"

"That won't happen," Mary said. "Not all anchormen are like Ted!"

"I don't know," Murray said. "I mean, I loved working with you and Lou, but I _didn't_ love having my words butchered on-air. I just don't think I could go through that."

"You won't have to," Mary replied at once. "The anchors at WKX are a little full of themselves sometimes, but they're nothing like Ted. One even asked me out." She smiled. It had actually been a good date.

"Really?" Murray asked, looking hopeful for the first time.

Mary nodded. "Really. I don't know if there are any openings at the station right now, but I'll check. If there are, I'll certainly put a good word in for you. They'd be crazy not to hire you!"

Murray couldn't help smiling. Those were the very same words he'd said to her right after they were fired. He could almost picture it, working at the same station as Mary again. He had to admit, the idea was very appealing. His feelings for her hadn't changed a bit, even though he wasn't seeing her every day.

A small sigh escaped from Mary. She was glad to see Murray looking a bit more like himself. "Well, I'll ask around tomorrow and let you know. Maybe this will be the break you needed!" She stood, subtly giving him a hint to leave.

"Thanks!" Murray said, standing up and impulsively hugging her. He should've known she would find a solution. It was what she'd always done. No wonder everyone in the newsroom loved her. "Hey, listen, you should have dinner with us one night," Murray said. "I know Marie and the kids would be thrilled to see you."

"OK," Mary said. Privately, she wondered if Marie would really be so glad, considering that their financial situation was tight. But she decided not to bring that up. "Whatever happens, Murray, don't be a stranger. I mean, we may have been fired, but we're still friends, right?"

"Of course," Murray said, turning to leave. He'd come here out of desperation. But now, as he turned to leave, he felt something he'd thought was lost along with his job. The feeling was so strange, he almost didn't recognize it. It only took a moment to figure out what it was: hope.

 **The End**


End file.
